134-km semi high speed rail line between Ahmedabad, Dholera gets Cabinet approval, Pg5

Key Highlights:

• The Union Cabinet approved India's first semi-high-speed rail project between Sarkhej (Ahmedabad) and Dholera in Gujarat.
• The 134-km double line will be constructed at a cost of Rs 20,667 crore.
• The new train will have an operating speed of 200 kmph.
• The Sarkhej-Dholera line will have 13 stations and is expected to be completed in four years.
• 74 km of the line will be elevated, including three mega bridges.

Detailed Insights:

• Dholera is being developed as a key manufacturing center with an international airport, logistics hub, and semiconductor chip plants.
• The rail line will provide connectivity to the Lothal National Maritime Heritage Complex.
• The project will be integrated with the Metro at Sabarmati, Gandhigram, and Vastrapur stations, and with the proposed Bullet train station at Sabarmati.
• The line will also have a link to a dedicated freight corridor at Maraiyya near Sanand.
• The Sarkhej-Dholera line will run along the Ahmedabad-Dholera expressway, utilizing a 30-meter-wide corridor to minimize land acquisition challenges.
• The existing fastest train, Vande Bharat, runs at a maximum speed of 130 kmph, while India is manufacturing a high-speed train with an operational speed of 250 kmph at BEML in Bengaluru.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Semi-High-Speed Rail: A rail system designed for speeds between conventional rail and high-speed rail, typically between 160-250 km/h.
• Dedicated Freight Corridor: A railway line exclusively for freight transport, separating it from passenger traffic to increase efficiency.
• Viaducts: Elevated structures consisting of multiple spans used to carry a road or railway across a valley or other obstacle.